This page has all the minutes of both committee and forum meetings.
It also includes the report given by Henry Gowman , Chair of SNTWN at the East Anglian Tree Wardens Forum September 2016.
Chairs Report at East Anglian Tree Wardens Forum September 2016
SOUTH NORFOLK TREE WARDEN NETWORK – IT’S BEEN A BIT OF A WHIRL GETTING SET UP!
Just as we were about to mark our 25th Anniversary – South Norfolk Council decided for economic and logistic reasons they had to withdraw their officer from running the Tree Warden Scheme – they did not abandon us – but provided support via their Communities Officer with advice and a short term grant and then identified funding – as well as arranging for us to continue to meet in the Council chambers free of charge.
So we set up a committee – adopted a constitution and have implemented a series of meetings involving brain storming over problems, as well as an educational slant – such as tree identification and discussions about tree diseases. We will be inviting knowledgeable people to come and talk on subjects of interest and arrange field visits to places of interest – such as established woodland and recent plantings.
Our main funding has come from Busseys – a Norwich based car dealer – who have donated £8,000 from their customer’s environmental ‘plant a tree donation scheme’.
This money is being used for the modest running costs of the Network and the purchasing of native trees for the tree planting schemes put together by the Tree Wardens who belong to the Network, currently numbering some 80 people, from parishes across South Norfolk.
Our Committee have now received several applications for funding exciting tree planting projects, amongst which are schemes at:
Thurton: The new owner of a village pub is turning back into a community pub rather than a roadside stop and is building play areas as well as holding the annual village fete/craft fairs/festivals within the large field adjoining the pub. A new native tree hedge will be planted along the entire circumference of the field, including alongside the busy A146 Lowestoft Road, which will be some quarter of a mile long. This will link up to existing field hedges and provide a corridor for wildlife as well as bringing the countryside further into the village. Within the field there will be a planting of willows and poplars near a natural spring and stream, as well as a ‘scrumping orchard’ of Norfolk variety apple trees.
Costessey: A new and growing housing and retail area at ‘Longwater’ surrounds a long 
valley of grassland and over hanging woodland. Probably not built upon because the terrain is too difficult.The local tree warden is working with local interest groups to manage an area of many hundreds of acres and once some areas are clear of scrub and bramble, to plant native trees using our funding stream. This will be a long running project taking several years to complete but will enhance the existing woodland and provide habitat for wildlife, as well as green open space with walking paths for the local human population. The tree warden will be looking to her fellow tree wardens in SNC for assistance with this project.
Brockdish: A fairly small overgrown common has been ‘rediscovered’. Only partially recorded and recognised as a common, moves are afoot to have its designation improved and recognised. Then the plan is to clear some areas of scrub and plant sympathetically with native trees, to form a ‘pocket park’ in what is an area of some 2 acres or so. The tree warden is working with the Parish Council to bring this vision to fruition. There are ideas to plant another ‘scrumping orchard’ of Norfolk variety apples which will complement the blackberries growing there already – there is also talk of a nuttery.
FROM ADVERSITY – IN A SHORT SPACE OF TIME – OUR TREE WARDEN NETWORK IS ON COURSE TO BE AN INDEPENDENT SUCCESS STORY – AND STILL BE HERE IN ANOTHER 25 YEARS
South Norfolk Tree Warden Network 